BEHIND THE LENS: SHOOTING PRESTWICH PRIDE
This year, my local village celebrated its first Pride weekend. The grassroots event, put together by a group of friends from the Prestwich area, began with humble expectations but soon attracted significant attention as local businesses, artists, and councilors all lent a hand, providing donations and raffle prizes. We were amazed to see the response to our local Pride plans, with local businesses up and down the high street sporting Pride decorations in solidarity and celebration of this important inaugural event.
Our chosen charity was the worthy George House Trust, a Manchester-based organisation working to support those living with HIV. Through community donations and contributions, we were able to raise a staggering £3754.64 for our chosen charity, a phenomenal and humbling amount!
The main events were primarily held at Cuckoo on Bury New Road (one of my favourite bars if you are ever in the area!). Beginning with family crafts right through to local DJs and even a brilliant visual performance of drag artist Banksie, the day was pure joy. It was a privilege to capture the crowds celebrating love and inclusivity in all forms, as well as to contribute to such a good cause raising money for George House Trust. Events culminated on Monday night with a screening of Matthew Warchus’s ‘Pride’ film, complete with some Cuckoo signature Pride cocktails, and with an introduction from Joshua Wharton, a representative from George House Trust who shared with attendees some of the fantastic work the charity does within the local community.
My role was, of course, photography: I shot not just the events themselves, but also key moments in the run-up: from shooting the DJs acts to the cocktails to capturing the efforts of my friend and colleague Myroslava Coates, a local window artist, as she painted the town red (and orange, and yellow, and green…!) to promote Pride whilst fundraising – so much more goes into a charity event than what happens on the day, and I was honored to be a part of it.
If you are in event-planning and are looking for a photographer, get in touch to work out a package with me…and, if you are a Prestwich local, save the date for next year…!
